Lyle looking pretty fast to me!

Little Known Skills That all Runners Need for the 5K                             by Lyle Babberyl, GRC member

As a sport, running has a number of sources for information on what to do and how to do it; what not to do and how to undo it. There are magazines that give advice that we need and they sell lots of things we don't need; there are web sites and bulletin boards that allow us to see how other runners are training and commiserate. There are even gurus who will, for a price, lecture you and repeat gems of information you would never have guessed such as: runners must run - often and to race fast you must train fast and training on hills will get you to the top and when doing fartleks, don't tell your wife. However, over the course of my running years, I've noticed there are a number of details (skills?) that are never mentioned in the magazines and if you were brave enough to ask a guru about these ignored points he would laugh or think you ignorant or both. So, here is some information you can add to your already woefully incomplete knowledge base.

Course Instructions - For those of you that might think it's important to listen to the race director before the gun as he explains the intricacies of the route to be run - forget it! Example; "Take a left turn at the second coconut tree then veer north until you see a stop sign then bear east, turn around at the intersection of Yknot road, avoid the carabao, repeat the second part, then back to the finish line". See what I mean? All those instructions are confusing, misleading, and mostly unheard by the crush of people posing for pictures around you in the middle of the back of the pack. Besides, the guys with the headphones tuned to a self help tape aren't listening anyway and they won't hear, "No head phones allowed!" The only race instruction that ever made any sense was when Marsh would exclaim, "Run on this road
until we tell you to stop!"

Absolutely NEVER believe them when they say, "Don't worry, you can't get lost, it's all coned off!" That's when you need to be most wary. The solution is, as always, just follow the runners in front of you. They know where they're going; they were listening!

Shoelace Tying - An ignored skill, the learning of which is mostly left to the
expertise of the kindergarten teacher who has had very little training concerning 5K running shoes. This seminar would be primarily aimed at the preteens and for a very good reason - their shoes will come untied in the first 20 meters of any 5K run. This necessitates the child to stop right there, drop to the pavement and attempt the task of retying the laces in the predawn splendor while dozens of night blinded runners fall over each other trying to avoid the unseen obstacle. Race directors know about this hazard and try their best to help the average runner. They will scatter road cones randomly over the first 50 meters of the race course to serve as shelters for the children who have stopped to tie shoelaces. Bless their hearts, they do try. So, here is the technique: first pull the laces tight, then over - under - around and, uhm . . . no, under-over-around and . . . oh, never mind! Go talk to a kindergarten teacher.

Water Station Imbibation Technique - Without the proper training, this procedure can result in disaster. Because of the rapid deep breathing needed by out of condition self-help enthusiasts, water will either get sucked into the nasal passage or down the windpipe or both which usually results in the expulsion of the fluids back out their original route. Not a pretty sight. Here are some hints that might save you some embarrassment and discomfort. One runner confessed he carried a plastic tube that he would use to suck the water out of the paper cup. I always wondered how he got that drinking straw stuck up his nose. Another recommendation was to squeeze the cup into a funnel that could then be used for sipping. My geometry being what it is I could never get the proper funnel shape and usually spilled all the water in an attempt to get V to equal ½ Pi x radius. Another tried and true method is to give up on drinking and just pour the water over your head and let oesmosis take it in to the body. That does no good but it does look athletic! Finally, dare I say it, one could simply stop (these stations are also known as Water Stops) and drink the water in relative calm and safety.

Proper Race Breathing - "I need training on how to breathe?" you say. Yes, unless you want to be sucking air like a house on fire, which by the way, tells everybody in your running group that you are on the verge of walking and you will see them all later at the fruit and yogurt table. Trained athletes base their running on rhythm and coordination. As you start the race you time your breath intake with the pounding of your feet. At the first plod of your foot you partially breathe in, finish the intake on the next step, then on the next three steps, out - out - out. Of course this requires great skill and concentration; otherwise you faint on the fifth step during the last 'out' if there is nothing left in your lungs. As you progress into the race and the oxygen requirements get more demanding, the breathing rhythm becomes inhale, inhale, exhale, exhale in four step sets rather than five. Later still it becomes a two step rhythm - inhale, exhale; and as you cross the finish line you are sucking air like a house on fire.

Spitting - Don't! Save it for after the race along with puking. Besides, the fluids are needed inside your body, not on the legs of the runners behind you. If you don't obey this simple call to courtesy, you might find a runner suddenly beside you stepping on the untied shoe laces that you were too
embarrassed to stop and tie in the first 20 meters of the run.

Approaching the Chute - We never, it seems, come in sight of the finish line, take a look at the timing clock and say to our selves, "Wow, I can relax, I have 30 seconds to spare!" Rather we grimace about the fact there are 30 seconds left before the numbers turn into another minute. So, we turn on the afterburner, if there is any gas left, and try to beat the minute. 39:54 looks a lot better in the sports section of the PDN than 40:10. Then we notice the finishing chute and the fact that our lane is knotted with guys that decided the race was over as soon as they spied the finish line banners. They are already winding down, and even starting to walk. Suddenly, you remember one of the golden rules of running; the one you never thought would pertain to you - "Never pass another runner in the chute!" What to do? Simple! - finish through the women's chute; you can always blame it on poor race instructions.

Cheating - Now, for the unpleasant task of addressing the subject of cheaters. Yes, there are those who believe themselves to be above the plodding masses. They ignore the common sense you and I always show in every 5K. These aren't the ones who shave corners, who hold onto the guy in front of them at the gun so they get off to a good start, nor the ones that weave around on the road to prevent you from passing, WE ALL DO THAT! It's just good race tactics. No, rather, I'm referring to the runners that have already run the complete race route as a warm up before we even got there!
They also make a jackrabbit start at the gun to get ahead of the preteens who will stop to tie their shoe laces. These people actually trained ALL WEEK! They bypass the water stations altogether. They never suck air like a house on fire. Spitting is not a problem because there is no one around to spit on, and the chute ahead is always empty as they approach the finish line. There is no defense against these guys except maybe untying their shoes when they aren't looking or moving a few cones at the critical corners.
Uhm ... better not follow these guys, ok?